Multiple unit container package with consumer tool divider assembly

ABSTRACT

A package characterized by two rows of product containers, such as, cans or jars, enclosed in an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material, with an assembly of spoons which are suitable for use in consuming the product packaged in the containers, which spoons are disposed between the rows of containers so as to form a divider and which are not accessible without removing at least a portion of the wrapper.

[451 Jan. 8, 1974 Weir,Jr...........

E G A mi AE m mw mD L mm .m m NM US mm WC m U1. MW u w ASSEMBLY OTHER PUBLICATIONS Mechem Abstract of Ser. No. 125,513, Filed l 1-4-49, Published in 645 0.0. 1027 on 4 17-51, (30-16) [75] Inventor: William M. Brown, Darien, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company Inc.,

Montvale, NJ.

June 21, 1971 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman AttorneyGuy A. Greenwalt et a1.

[22] Filed:

App1.No.: 154,828

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ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material, with an assembly of spoons which are suitable for use in [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS consuming the product packaged in the containers,

which spoons are disposed between the rows of cone C a. f mo n m0 am In .ww h u wa .e E F 2 am .m a w m m V D. m.m a 8 o s m m m I o m f I. o u C tvm 8 an o S T e 1 fbp 8 90. mam mew RRXXX uM w 7 -7 66 OOMWM 22626 .020 "2 2 PATENTEBJAH s 1974 3.784.000 SHEET 1 or 2 INVEN TOR WILLIAM BROWN ATT'YS PATENTEU JAN 8 I974 SHEET 2 BF 2 L 3 WW. 6 a 3 T INVENTOR WI LL/AM M. BRO WN MULTHFLE UNIT CONTAINER PACKAGE WITH CONSUMER TOOL DIVIDER ASSEMBLY This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a consumer package in which an assembly of containers, such as cans or jars, is arranged in double row formation and enclosed in a wrapper of paperboard or similar material which encircles the assembly of containers and retains the same therein.

A number of products, particularly prepared food products, are now being packaged in relatively small cans or jars which hold a quantity sufficient for a single serving. Many of these items, such as custards and the like, which are intended to be consumed directly from the container in which they are supplied, are known as snack items. For a number of reasons it has been found desirable to market these items in multiple unit packages. Generally, a double row arrangement of the cans or jars is enclosed in a suitable wrapper of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material. It is also desirable to accompany each unit with a spoon or other tool for use in consuming the product. While various arrangements have been proposed for packaging the desired number of spoons or the like, with the cans or jars, most of the package arrangements heretofore provided have not proven satisfactory generally because the spoons have not been incorporated into the package so as to insure that they are maintained in a sanitary condition and they have not been positioned so that they are inaccessible without destruction of the package so as to avoid loss through handling or pilferage. It is a general-object of the present invention to provide a multiple unit package of snack-type canned products in which spoons, or like tools, are enclosed in the package in a novel manner so that they cannot be removed without opening the package, wholly or partially, or at least tearing the wrapper.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a multiple unit package of canned products wherein the cans or similar containers are arranged in row formation and enclosed in a tubular wrapper of paperboard or similar foldable material with an assembly of spoons, or the like, positioned between rows of the containers so as to be enclosed by the wrapper and inaccessible without opening the package or disturbing the wrapper.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a multiple unit package of cans or similar containers which are arranged in row formation and enclosed in a wrapper which is folded to form an open ended tube with an assembly of spoons or the like, which are suitable for consuming the product in the containers, arranged in the space between rows of. the containers so as to form a divider for separating the same.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the package which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa package of four container units which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the package of spoons which constitutes a divider between the rows of containers in the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank of paperboard material which is cut and scored to provide the wrapper employed in the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a divider arrangement with a different spoon configuration;

FIG. 7 is a partial, horizontal section similar to FIG. 3 showing the divider arrangement of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the package of spoons which constitutes the divider in the package of FIGS. 6 and 7.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3, the package 10 which is illustrated comprises four container units, in the form of product filled and closed cans 12, which are arranged in double row formation and enclosed in a tubular container or wrapper 14 formed from a generally rectangular paperboard blank 15 which is cut and scored as illustrated in FIG. 5. The blank 15 is folded or wrapped tightly about the assembly of containers 12 and'the latter are retained in the open ended tubular wrapper thus formed by engagement of the top and bottom edges of the can bodies in suitable openings formed by cutting or slitting the material at the juncture of the top and bottom edges of the side wall panels with the side edges of the top and bottom wall panels. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an assembly or package of small spoons 16 is disposed between the rows of containers 12, which forms a divider for the containers and which is enclosed in the package so as to be inaccessible except by tearing the wrapper 14 or otherwise opening or partially opening'the package.

A blank 15 suitable for forming the package 10 is shown in FIG. 5 which is generally rectangular and is of foldable sheet material, such as, paperboard, or the like. The blank 15 is divided to provide a center top wall forming panel 18, adjoining side wall panels 20, 21 and bottom wall forming panels 22, 23 by transverse score or crease lines 24, 25, 26 and 27. The bottom wall forming panel 22 is provided with apertures 28 for co-operation with locking tongue and chime separator formations 30 which extend from the end of a locking panel 31, the latter being subdivided from the bottom wall forming panel 23 by the transverse score line 32. Generally C-shaped slits 33 are cut in the panel 23 along the score line 32 and opposite the tongues 30 to provide small tongues 34 for engaging in locking relation in the apertures 28 when the blank 15 is folded in encircling relation about the two rows of containers 12 and the locking panel 31 is manipulated to bring the tongues 30 and 34 into the apertures 28. The tongues 30 are swung so as to extend in a plane normal to the plane of the bottom wall where they are disposed between the chimes on the containers 12 and form separators therefor as shown in FIG. 2. Pairs of spaced slits 35 are cut on the transverse score lines 24 and 25 at the opposite transverse edges of the top wall forming panel 18 for receiving portions of the chimes at the top edges of the containers 12. The bottom wall forming panels 22 and 23 are cut to provide apertures 36 adjacent the transverse score lines 26 and 27 which are adapted to receive portions of the chimes at the bottom ends of the containers 12 so that when the wrapper blank 15 is drawn into tight engagement around the container assembly the containers 12 are restrained against movement out of the open end of the tubular wrapper 14.

The spoon divider assembly 16, which is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, comprises four individual spoons 40 which. in the illustrated example, are formed of a suitable plastic and connected together in sheet-like arrangement by bridge pieces 41 so that the individual spoons 40 may be readily separated from the assembly by breaking the connecting bridge pieces 41. The spoons 40 are arranged in planar relation, as shown,so as to occupy a minimum of space when positioned as a divider between the rows of containers 12. To insure that the spoons 40 will be maintained in a sanitary condition, the assembly is enclosed in an envelope or wrapper indicated at 42. The spoons 40 are arranged in alternate relation and the connecting bridges 41 extend between the handle portions thereof so that the bowl or scoop portions are at the ends of the container rows and fit in the space created by the cylindrical shape of the containers 12. This arrangement makes it very simple and practical to provide equipment which will feed and place a group of spoons between the cans or jars before the blank is placed around the group of containers to form the package. With a somewhat taller container 12 the spoons could bearranged in a wrapper with each spoon sealed in a pocket or individual wrapper portion and the wrapper perforated along the sealing lines so as to permit individual spoons to be detached from the assembly without unwrapping the remainder of the spoons.

Another form of the package which is contemplated is illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8. In this form of the package the divider assembly 50 comprises the desired number of flat spoons 51, such as, the flat wooden or plastic spoons commonly served with small containers of ice cream, are sealed in individual pockets 52 in a wrapper 53 with perforation lines 54 for separating the same. The assembly 50 is folded as shown in FIG. 8 to bring the spoons in back-to-back arrangement which provides a separator assembly in a single plane which can be readily positioned between the rows of containers 12 in assembling the package assembly which, as illustrated, can be otherwise identical with the package of FIGS. 1 to 5.

The package which is illustrated shows products in cans arranged in double row formation and in a single horizontal layer. The invention is applicable to a package in which the canned products are disposed in a single row, and one in which they are disposed in a single row and in vertically stacked multiple relation. The divider assembly would then be disposed between adjacent containers or adjacent stacks of the containers with the spoons, or the like, arranged to extend vertically and into the space between adjacent pairs or stacks of the containers and the side walls of the wrapper with appropriate lateral spacing of the spoons or the like in the divider assembly to permit accommodation in the space available. The divider assembly would be disposed in a plane normal to the plane of the side walls of the wrapper.

While the ilustrated forms of the package are particularly designed for marketing snack products, such as, canned puddings, or the like, it will be obvious that the package is suitable for other products of a similar nature and that the particular tool provided may be varied according to the need for the same, which will depend upon the product which is enclosed in the container 12 and the nature of the container.

I claim:

I. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side Wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a con tainer divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates containers and which includes a plurality of product serving tools which are adapted for removing the product from the container and for consuming the same.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container divider assembly comprises a number of product serving tools corresponding to the number of containers separated by the divider assembly so as to provide a separate tool for removing and consuming the product from each container and wherein the serving tools are disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the container enclosing walls of the tubular wrapper.

3. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a container divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates the containers and which comprises a plurality of tools in the form of spoons for use in connection with consumption of the products in the containers and which are disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the side walls of the wrapper 4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the divider assembly comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons having handle portions disposed between contiguous wall portions of the product containers and scoop portions disposed in the space defined by the outermost wall portions of adjacent pairs of product containers and a side wall of the wrapper.

5. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the container divider comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons enclosed in individual pockets in a wrapper which is folded upon itself so that the spoons are in back-to-back position.

6. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the coni tainer divider comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons enclosed in individual pockets in a wrapper.

7. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a container divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates the containers and which comprises a plurality of tools for use in connection with the consumption of the products in the containers which are in the form of spoons enclosed in separable compartments in a wrapper so that said wrapper may be torn apart to enable the spoons to be removed from the package while in individual protective wrappers.

8. A package comprising an assembly of cylindrical product containers arranged in double row formation, a wrapper formed from a generally rectangular paperboard blank encircling the containers so as to form a tubular carton with top, bottom and side walls disposed to lie along container top, bottom and opposite outer sides and having means for restraining the containers against movement relative to the wrapper and a divider assembly disposed between the rows of containers which assembly includes a plurality of product serving tools adapted to be used for removing and consuming the products in the containers, said divider assembly being disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the carton side walls and extending into the space between the rows of the containers and between said carton side walls so that said divider assembly is inaccessible for ready removal without first removing at least a portion of the carton from the assembly. 

1. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a container divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates containers and which includes a plurality of product serving tools which are adapted for removing the product from the container and for consuming the same.
 2. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container divider assembly comprises a number of product serving tools corresponding to the number of containers separated by the divider assembly so as to provide a separate tool for removing and consuming the product from each container and wherein the serving tools are disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the container enclosing walls of the tubular wrapper.
 3. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a container divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates the containers and which comprises a plurality of tools in the form of spoons for use in connection with consumption of the products in the containers and which are disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the side walls of the wrapper
 4. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the divider assembly comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons having handle portions disposed between contiguous wall portions of the product containers and scoop portions disposed in the space defined by the outermost wall portions of adjacent pairs of product containers and a side wall of the wrapper.
 5. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the container divider comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons enclosed in individual pockets in a wrapper which is folded upon itself so that the spoons are in back-to-back position.
 6. A package as set forth in claim 3 wherein the container divider comprises a plurality of individual tools in the form of spoons enclosed in individual pockets in a wrapper.
 7. A package comprising a plurality of cylindrical containers each filled with a product, said containers being arranged in double row formation with pairs thereof aligned transversely, an open ended tubular wrapper of foldable sheet material having walls enclosing the containers so as to cover top and bottom surface and oppositely disposed outer side wall portions of the containers and said wrapper walls having means for engaging top and bottom edge portions of the containers whereby to hold the containers against movement out of the open ends of the tubular wrapper, and a container divider assembly disposed between the rows of the containers which assembly separates the containers and which comprises a plurality of tools for use in connection with the consumption of the products in the containers which are in the form of spoons enclosed in separable compartments in a wrapper so that said wrapper may be torn apart to enable the spoons to be removed from the package while in individual protective wrappers.
 8. A package comprising an assembly of cylindrical product containers arranged in double row formation, a wrapper formed from a generally rectangular paperboard blank encircling the containers so as to form a tubular carton with top, bottom and side walls disposed to lie along container top, bottom and opposite outer sides and having means for restraining the containers against movement relative to the wrapper and a divider assembly disposed between the rows of containers which assembly includes a plurality of product serving tools adapted to be used for removing and coNsuming the products in the containers, said divider assembly being disposed in a plane generally normal to the plane of the carton side walls and extending into the space between the rows of the containers and between said carton side walls so that said divider assembly is inaccessible for ready removal without first removing at least a portion of the carton from the assembly. 